Sea's Sorceress (4 page)

“Then eat your soup, love, and keep me company while I work.” He patted her shoulder and walked back to the sink. Tension bounced off him like waves.

“Ah, we need three orders of apple tarts. Two for the Finneys and the other for the table in the back. A peace offering.” She sipped the soup and watched him take four saucers off a stack and fill the order.

He’d tied up his black hair with a leather band and now it fell in a thick rope of silk between his shoulder blades. What would it feel like if she ran her fingers down its length? Better not to think about that too much. Damn him for threatening to kiss her. Then again, she had called him a sex god, even though she’d been teasing. What she knew about sex wouldn’t fill a tea cup.
Turnabout’s fair play
.

Skye gave her a dazzling smile and handed her one of the saucers.

“Be right back.” He gathered the other plates onto a tray and took them out to the waitress. When he came back to the kitchen, Skye sat next to her at the table. “Try one.”

“I shouldn’t.”

“You can’t resist my pastries, darling. Be a good girl. Take a bite.” He held one up to her lips and leaned over until she was looking directly into those smoky blue eyes.

Big mistake.
Can’t resist you is more like it
. “I don’t eat sweets. They’re bad for me and the scales.”

“You’re a beautiful woman, Rhiannon. You shouldn’t worry about things like that.”

“That’s what I do. Worry.” And why was she telling him this? His taste ran to long, cool blondes. But Skye was far too easy to talk to.

“Just the right size, and your curves are sexy. If you were as big as a house, you’d still be beautiful.”

“You think I’m…sexy?”

“Can’t you see the way men watch you? Do you know what they feel when they look at you? I do.”

“You’d have kissed me in front of everybody if I hadn’t come back here.”

“Hmm?” He tilted his head to the side, the tiny little scar at the corner of his eye crinkled. Did anyone besides her ever notice it? She’d been twelve that day, plenty old enough to go down to the water. Or so she had thought, until a loose rock sent her tumbling down the path. Skye had caught her, but not before a large stone had flown up and nicked the skin by his left eye.

Skye leaned in and whispered in her ear. “In a heartbeat, and enjoyed it.” His mouth brushed her cheek as he pulled back.

“You never did play fair.”

“All’s fair in love and most of the time both sides can find a way to win.”

“Would you have been sorry?”

“Never. I care about you, Rhia.”

“Well then. I guess that’s good to know.”

“I think we need to talk about earlier on the phone. I–”

Looking for a distraction, she gave up, leaned over and took a bite of the offered treat. “Mmm. It’s excellent. What’s gotten into you, Skye?”

“Magic. Lots of it.” His eyes skimmed down over her mouth and her lips began to tingle. Her stomach fluttered. Would he kiss her? Did she want him to?
Yes
. She almost closed the distance herself. She just didn’t want to talk about her feelings for him. He’d be kind, sweet when he told her he didn’t love her. She couldn’t bear that and so she changed the subject.

“Want to tell me about that?”

“Liv almost died today.”

“What! Skye. You told me she was all right!”

“She is. Now.” He took her hands in his, eyes bright with excitement. “I wish you could have been there, Rhia. I told you it was amazing. Ryan healed her. Well, Jack, Allie, Devin and I lent what energy we could, but Ryan saved her. She was bleeding out.”

“He healed her?”

“Yes. I was thinking we could try something like that with your father.”

The hope in his voice broke her heart. Hadn’t she already tried everything within her power? With Devin’s help, she had cast a circle and pleaded with the goddess to heal her Da. Nothing had worked. He was still sick. Cancer was devouring her father’s body and his time. Dr, Kate O’Connell–and if Skye’s prediction was right, soon to be Mrs. Ryan Corrigan and Skye’s sister-in-law–had given him a couple of weeks, but in truth nobody thought he would make it that long. Two days ago, he’d driven himself to Kate’s clinic alone, but this morning he hadn’t been able to get out of bed. He wouldn’t even eat. She had seen the agony in his eyes when she’d carefully hugged him before heading in to town to open up. To know her touch caused him such pain broke her heart.

“Skye.” She squeezed his hand and was surprised when he twined his fingers through hers. “I know you mean well, but magic won’t help him.”

“I want to help, Rhia. Let me ask.” Skye pressed a kiss to her hand in an old fashioned gesture.

“Devin has already tried. There is nothing more to do, nothing more anyone can do. I have to get back to work. Thanks for the meal.” She picked up her bowl and glass, set them on the counter, and walked back into the dining room.

Well, that was awkward. For a split second she had thought he would kiss her. Did she want him to? Did he really think about her like that? And how could she let herself think about Skye when her father was dying?

Chapter 3

He’d almost kissed her and that hadn’t been half of what he wanted to do. What would she taste like? How would she feel underneath him in the dark? No, in the firelight where he could watch her skin flush pink from his touch. At the last second, Skye had remembered there was a room full of customers on the other side of the door and she didn’t know how he really felt about her. They didn’t have long until closing. He’d let Rhiannon escape into work.

He was wiping down the countertops and stove when the kitchen door swung open and Maegan sauntered through.

“Nice to see you back, handsome. How’re the brats?” She flipped her long blonde hair behind one shoulder. What in the world could he have seen in her?

“What do you want, Maegan?”

“Dangerous question, lover. Come home with me and I’ll show you. Shift’s over. I’m taking a break. If little miss bossy bitch can share the kitchen with you, then so can I.”

“You have to be the most self-centered woman I’ve ever known.” He felt his thin thread of control strain with the effort not to snap. “You need to leave. Now.”

“What?”

“Get out. We’re over. We’ve been over for awhile now. I can’t stand to look at you. Understand?”

“Skye! Whatever’s got you so upset lately, we can work on it.”

“What’s got me upset? Upset? Why don’t you try mad as hell. I don’t like cheats, Maegan. I know you slept with Sullivan. You brought him into your bed not an hour after I had left it. You were an idiot to try that. Did you think I wouldn’t find out? If you wanted to play games, you should have cut me loose. I did it for you.”

“Look at you, all
holier than thou
. How many women have you strung along, made promises to?”

“If I am with a woman, we have a mutual caring and understanding. A commitment to each other for as long as we last. I’ve never touched another while I was with you.”

“Liar. You follow Rhiannon around like a puppy. You are always touching her. Her hair, her shoulder. Do you think I don’t know what people say behind my back?”

“I don’t care what others say. You leave her out of this. You make me sick, Maegan. Get the hell out of here now.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“I do. Every single time I’ve said it in the last three months.”

“Redheaded slut, she’s crawled under your skin with her
poor little me
act.”

He was across the room in a flash. So fast he barely registered the movement, rage pumping off him in waves.

Her blue eyes filled with fear.

Skye had never hurt a woman, but he couldn’t let the insult slide. “If you were a man, you would be out cold on the floor right now. As it is, say one more word, just one, about Rhiannon and I might forget what you are. I’m done with you, Maegan. Done. Over. She’s ten times the woman you could ever be.”

He dodged the glass jar full of strawberry preserves Maegan picked up from the table and flung. It smashed against the wall two inches beside his head. Sticky goo splattered on the walls and into his hair.

“You think you can bandy me about like your other women, do you?”
Smash!
Splinters of glass from a broken plate ripped across his cheek, leaving a deep slash. Damn, that hurt. Looked like Liv might get that chance to defend his shameful honor. “No one tosses me aside.”

“Leave, or I’ll throw you out.”

“Oh, you will, aye?” She stormed toward the door.

Rhiannon walked through, blocking Maegan’s path.

He had hurt her. Too bad. Cheating hussy. “You’re right. I’m in love with Rhiannon. I have been for months.”

“Skye, you can shut everything down for the–what did you say?” Rhia stopped in the doorway, her mouth open in shock.

“You bastard! I’ll kill you.” Tears rolled down Maegan’s face.

“Everything’s fine. Maegan was just leaving.”

“Burn in hell.” She spun around and spat on the floor at Rhiannon’s feet.

He leaned against the counter to watch Rhiannon unleash her temper.

“Let me tell you something, Maegan. I don’t know what you’re arguing about, but I’ve had enough of this. I would never fire an employee in front of a customer, that’s all that saved you earlier, but I don’t have time for your soap operas or histrionics. My father is dying and I will not allow you to destroy my family’s reputation or speak to my friend that way, one who has done nothing but try to help me. You are fired. Now get the hell out of my place before I throw you out myself.”

“You can’t fire me! I’d like to see you try it.”

“I just did. And the damage is coming out of your pay, just so you know. I’ll mail that to you.”

Maegan grabbed her arm. “I’ll kill you for taking what’s mine.”

“No. You won’t,” Sky promised. “Take your hand off my woman.”

She punched Rhiannon square in the jaw, pushed her aside, and stalked out the back door.

Skye flipped the lock behind her.

* * * *

Rhia had to give Maegan credit–the woman packed a punch. Running her tongue over her teeth, she pushed, testing them, but they held. Her jaw would probably be one big bruise by morning. It just might have been worth it.

Skye grabbed a handful of ice cubes out of the freezer, poured them into a plastic bag and covered it with a dish towel before handing it to her. Had she imagined his words?
I’m in love with Rhiannon. Take your hand off my woman
. She took the bag with an unsteady hand and pressed the homemade ice pack to her aching face.

“Thank you,” she said. “That’s a nasty cut. You’re probably going to need stitches.”

“I’ll get someone to see to it. I’m sorry you had to deal with her. Maybe this time she finally got the hint. I don’t care for her threats, though. Maybe we should call the police.”

“I’d rather just forget about it. She’s nutty, but I don’t think she’d kill. You told her you were in love with me.” She slid him a glare from around the towel.

“I did, yes.”

“What the devil was that about? Were you trying to make her angrier?”

“No. It got her attention. She’s thickheaded. Would you believe she’s been telling people she and I were going to marry? That was never on the table.”

She growled at him. “Well, your brilliant distraction worked a little too well,
dear
. See?” Rhia moved the ice pack to show him her face. “No amount of makeup’s going to cover this.”

“I’d like to punch her for that. I won’t. Mama raised me better, but I want to. Ask Devin to heal it, or teach you a glamour.”

“No. It’s a small price to pay to be rid of her. I think I’ll wear it out. A warning of sorts. Are all your old girlfriends as crazy as she is?”

“Liv did try to warn me. Why don’t you stay back here? I’ll lock up.”

“God, I’m tired. Here.” She pressed the cool pack of ice to her cheek, slipped the door keys out of her pocket and handed them to Skye. Her fingers brushed his on the exchange.